This article provides an overview of new developments, both own as well as international, in the field of systemic therapy of lung cancer, with special emphasis on targeted therapies, which improved the efficacy of lung cancer systemic therapy significantly in the last decade. The author especially focuses on presenting the latest achievements and findings in the fields of anti EGFR and EML4 ALK targeted therapies as well as an overview of pivotal trials that led to a change of routine clinical practice. The author and her research group took an active part in several of these trials.
COBISS.SI-ID: 36823557
In this prospective clinical trial, the author together with the co-authors form other EORTC Lung Cancer group centres, evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel targeted drug bortezomib in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer in which new molecular markers and more effective treatment methods are eagerly awaited and searched for. The research failed to show the effectiveness of bortezomib when added to chemotherapy; however, the upmost importance of the trial lies in the fact that tissue samples from the primary tumours of all participating patients were collected, which will enable research on prognostic and predictive value of multiple biomarkers in mesothelioma. Several sub studies are already underway and will be published soon. IF(2013)=4,8; number of pure citations: 5.
COBISS.SI-ID: 36913157
Multiple drug resistance limits the efficacy of numerous cytotoxic drugs used in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The drug efflux protein ATP-binding cassette transporter B1 (ABCB1) has an important role in this process, and its gene variability may affect chemotherapy outcomes. The aim of our study was to evaluate the associations between ABCB1 polymorphisms G2677T/A, C3435T, and their haplotype with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in SCLC patients treated with cisplatin-etoposide or cyclophosphamide-epirubicin-vincristine chemotherapy. Our study reported a possible predictive value of ABCB1 polymorphisms G2677T/A, C3435T, and their haplotype for longer PFS and OS in Caucasian SCLC patients treated with chemotherapy. However, to be implemented into routine clinical practice, ABCB1 polymorphisms require further validation.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29829337
In lung cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, renal function is an important parameter to be monitored. Since measurement of renal function with either isotope or creatinine clearance is time consuming and expensive, we evaluated which of the equations: Cockcroft-Gault (CG), Wright, modification of diet in renal disease equation (MDRD), MDRD adjusted for body surface area (BSA) and chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) best resembles endogenous creatinine clearance (ECC) and could therefore replace its measurement in clinical practice. There were no major differences in the performance of the tested equations. We found that in evaluating the renal function of lung cancer patients, equations adjusted for body size descriptors should be preferred. Estimated renal function should be interpreted against the characteristics of patient's body size and special attention is needed when these are reaching the extremes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29341145
ERRC1 is one of the most thoroughly researched predictive biomarkers for response to platinum -based chemotherapy in lung cancer. The leading author and her colleagues studied the expression of ERCC1 genome in patients with small cell lung cancer. The research included a relatively large number of patients and the negative results of the predictive value of ERCC1 expression for the outcome of the disease, which the author and her group published in a high impact international publication, significantly influenced later international research of the ERCC1 biomarker. IF(2012)=5,535; number of pure citations: 6.
COBISS.SI-ID: 30115033